Is your church fiscally fit? Ten ways to assess your financial strength
By James D. Berkley
When Bowser pokes a cold, wet nose under my arm to signal it's time to pet him, the nose tells me he's healthy. When the nurse announces "120 over 80" for my blood pressure, I know I'm healthy. But when my church treasurer flings a file of figures across the table in his report, how do I know if my church is financially healthy?
What are some vital signs of churches that are fiscally fit?
Fiscal disclaimer
No one set of statistical canons will measure the fiscal fitness of every church. For every gauge, there's a thriving church mocking its credibility. God makes each church unique.
Churches also vary greatly by denomination, locale, membership demographics, era of church life, size, and other factors. And statistics are notoriously malleable and fallible. As one blunt writer has said, "There are lies, damned lies, and statistics!"
So, what's left?
General indicators-not bold, universal, unassailable facts. Generally speaking, though, certain factors point toward church fiscal health, and others indicate possible concern.
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New NWC Superintendent Mark Stromberg to be installed at ECC Annual Meeting The Feast early bird pricing extended Northwest Conference Superintendent-Elect Mark Stromberg will be installed during the ECC Annual Meeting, June 28-30. Outgoing Superintendent Jim Fretheim will also be recognized for his contribution to conference ministry over the last 8 years. If your church hasn't registered delegates yet, visit the ECC Annual Meeting website for more information.  The FeastIn the midst of all the daily noise, distractions, and obligations, we invite you, your family, and your friends to a weekend of spiritual renewal at the Feast. We would like the Feast to be an option for as many people as possible, therefore, due to the increased gas prices, we have extended the early bird pricing for everyone at the Feast. Once you have registered for the Feast, invite another family to do the same. After they are registered, both their family and your family will receive $100 toward registration. Just email our registrar, jill.ulven@covchurch.org, after both families are registered and let us know the name of the family you referred. We will then process the $100 refunds to each family. Information and registration for the Feast can be found on our website. A bulletin insert in PDF format is included to share with your church. |
Communications Corner
Should you take credit card donations?
One piece of a churches online strategy that comes up often is giving. There are so many potential free and paid services that can be used to collect and process credit card giving online.
The precursor to these practical concerns is a bigger question: Should churches accept credit card giving from parishoners? Doing so can really level out weekly giving patterns. On the other hand, should churches accept giving by credit card when the giver may themselves be wrestling with personal financial issues?
In his article, "Churches Weigh the Credit Card Question," Matt Branaugh interviews various church leaders to find out how churches are wrestling with this increasingly prevalent option. |
